Former Berkeley High and Lindenwood University track star Mike Rodgers was on the track with the fastest men in the world last weekend at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Moscow, Russia. Rodgers advanced all the way to the finals of the 100-meter dash, where he finished in sixth place. The winner of the race was two-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt of Jamaica. Rodgers will also be competing for the USA’s 4×100-meter relay this weekend.
Former East St. Louis star Dawn Harper will be competing in the women’s 110-meter high hurdles on Friday. Harper is a two-time Olympic medalist, having won the gold in 2008 and silver in 2012. Harper was a bronze medalist at the 2011 World Championships. She enters this week’s competition having won her last six races on the Grand Prix circuit.
Former Festus High standout Brittany Borman will be competing in the javelin in Russia. Borman won the 2012 USA championship to earn a spot on the Olympic team in London.
On the recruiting front
Cahokia High basketball standout Darius Austin has given a verbal commitment to the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The 6’6” Austin averaged 11 points and five rebounds as a junior in helping the Comanches to a school-record 33 victories and a berth in the Illinois Class 3A state-championship game in 2013. Austin also considered Indiana State and DePaul.
Edwardsville High’s Armon Fletcher gave a commitment to Southern Illinois University. The 6’5” Fletcher averaged 10 points and seven rebounds a game in helping the Tigers to a third-place finish in the Illinois Class 4A state tournament a year ago.
Standout defensive lineman Armon Watts of CBC just gave a commitment to the University of Arkansas. The 6’5” 275-pound Watts had 57 tackles and four sacks for the Cadets, who finished 11-1 last season. Watts’ teammate at CBC, defensive back Zach Muniz gave a verbal commitment to Duke.
Kirkwood High soccer standout Eric McWoods is headed to Xavier of the Big East Conference. McWoods has been the leading scorer for the Pioneers for the past two seasons with a combined 37 goals as a sophomore and junior. He helped lead his Lou Fusz U17 Geerling team to the championship of the US Soccer National Cup in Colorado last month.
Primus finishes second
Congratulations to Team Primus, a quartet of girls from the Show-Me State, who recently finished second at the USA Basketball Girls 18U 3×3 National Tournament, which was held in Colorado Springs last weekend. St. Louisans Napheesa Collier (Incarnate Word) and Alesia Sutton (Parkway North) joined Columbia Rock Bridge teammates Sophie Cunningham and Cierra Porter to form a great team that advanced to the championship game. Collier was the St. Louis American Player of the Year in 2013 after leading Incarnate Word to the Class 4 state championship. Sutton was the Freshman of the Year after leading Parkway North to a 24-2 record.
Eighth grade golf champ
Congratulations to North County resident Dallas Craddieth, who recently participated in the Tennessee Kickoff Classic in Knoxville, TN and led his team to the championship. He was one of the top players at the event. Dallas is an eighth-grader at Hazelwood Middle School. He was also selected to the Eastbay Eighth Grade Youth All-American Team, which will play in the Alamo Dome in San Antonio in January. Dallas is also a member of the National Junior Honor Society and a member of his school’s band as a trumpet player.
Open house
Miller Career Academy will be holding an open house on Friday, Sept. 6 at its school location (1000 N. Grand). The open house will take place between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. For more information, call the school at (314) 371-0394.
